Daddy’s Little Girl, I am not!
By bigpumpkin | July 4, 2009
Every morning, the Hubs drives Tee to school in a rush. This little girl, she takes an entire 40 minutes at least, to get herself ready with breakfast and all. From our place, he has to make a slight detour to her school and then zoom off to KLCC. But despite the rush, he still doesn’t drop her off at the school’s front gate. No…….
Instead, he parks a hundred meters away, and makes her walk a hundred meters to school. With him, of course. He has several reasons for this. He feels that parking a distance away is faster than fighting the queue with the other Moms in doing the drop off at the gate. It is a continuation of his Daddy-Daughter time from the drive from home. He told Tee it is their morning stroll together, something special, a walk to school. He wants her not to be lazy and spoilt. She needs to use those legs!
Recently, Tee came home complaining that she is the only kid that has to walk to school and all the other kids get dropped off in front. At most, they have to cross the street with their Mommies or walk just a little bit from their cars, but her? She has to walk a full marathon. It wasn’t fair. Her leg muscles were so strong now and her hand muscles never get used. We should tell Daddy that we need to strike a balance – one day walk, one day carry. Carry? We? Since when did I get involved in this? Carry? How old is she now?
I told her to discuss it with her Dad and she immediately brushed it off knowing full well that she’d never get anywhere with him. He was a strict Dad after all despite how much he adores her.
That night, I told the Hubs about Tee’s complaint and urged him not to be so tough on her. He gave me that look. That look which said, “Stop babying her!” But she is my baby……
So as it stands, Tee is still strengthening those muscular thighs and calves on a daily basis without any more complaints. What about you? Do you spoil your children this way or do you make them work?
Tags: how not to spoil your kids,
Topics: All about my precocious little girl, My partner in crime - the very square Hubs | No Comments »
Tee’s Love for Smellies
By bigpumpkin | July 3, 2009
My little spoilt girl, she has an absolute fetish for smellies. Give her anything with smellies and she becomes a dog on heat. OK, maybe not. But she gets really whiffy and excited when she gets to smell certain smells. She really does have a dog’s sense of smell.
One thing that she’s addicted to is Kiehl’s (just like her Mama). I like Kiehl’s because I think it’s a fabulous product brand, not so much for their smells but Tee loves Kiehl’s because she loves the smells. In fact, not even my Mom knows what Kiehl’s is but Tee can tell her, because she knows we brought back all those Kiehl’s products from New York and because she sees them all on our vanity counter, she only wants to use Kiehl’s……of which the Hubs says NO! So I let her use it when he isn’t looking. She loves it!!!
She also loves L’Occitane’s hand wash, lavender to be exact, but it is always out of stock. So in our household, the Hubs and I, we use the Guardian brand hand wash and Tee gets to use the L’Occitane hand wash. Is she high maintenance or what? She says the Guardian brand hand wash is lousy, bad for your hands. She also says that Tesco brand tissues are too rough, not like Kleenex and asks for Kleenex whenever we are out doing groceries. She believes in quality. Sometimes we tell her that we just cannot afford it and she accepts it. But that doesn’t mean she believes in it.
Tee’s current craze is Kiehl’s Lavender Bath which you can read about in my new Beauty Blog.
Tags: how to smell nice,
Topics: All about my precocious little girl | 4 Comments »
Learning up SEO on NTV7
By bigpumpkin | July 3, 2009
Last week, I was surprised to see a millionaire American blogger on NTV7’s breakfast show. His name is Stephen Pierce, a typical rags to riches story from Texas. Stephen explained that he was down and out and started exploring opportunities on the internet. Because I actually watched him being interviewed real life with our Malaysian guys, I felt more comfortable listening to what he had to say about blogging and SEO, so I explored further. But it turns out that he could only send me his free book (where he claims has all his blogging secrets) if I paid for postage. Postage within the States is US5 which I wouldn’t have minded paying for but postage to Malaysia was about US20. Once converted, this would be the full price of a new book! So I decided against it. I couldn’t afford it. I will just have to learn this thing up the hard way, through a lot of time and self study.
Tags: learning about seo, what is seo,
Topics: Blogging to save money | 1 Comment »
Sexy Aunt in a Sexy Top
By bigpumpkin | July 2, 2009
This is my 48 year old aunt wearing a very interesting top which I loved so much that I had to take a picture of it. I love the fact that it is cut crooked and not symmetrical. If I had her body, I’d buy that top in every colour!!!
And for someone who’s fast approaching 50, don’t you think she has an incredible body??? BITCH! Despite being ‘old’ she is still hot on the market getting calls to do TV commercials and magazine covers and catwalk shows, STILL. Her most recent TV commercial, showing on air now is some Omega milk ad that I still haven’t yet caught on TV because, errr…..I don’t watch TV.
Tags: fashionable tops,
Topics: Mamapumpkin Reviews | 11 Comments »
Preschooler adorning her art on the wall
By bigpumpkin | July 2, 2009
Tee loves herself a lot. That’s the impression we get anyway. She thinks she is smart, she thinks she is pretty, she thinks she is great. Even if you were to bring her back down to Earth and show her that she is not the know it all and be it all, she doesn’t care. In her fantasy head, she really IS the best. Whatever…….I’ve long accepted her Type A personality.
At her Nana’s house (where she is spoilt rotten and gets to do whatever the hell she wants), she has adorned Nana’s dining table wall with her art work. Good or bad, they’re all good to her and Nana has given her special permission to ‘decorate’ her wall with her art work. That isn’t happening at our house, hee hee….if at all, only what we deem good art work will go up and framed nicely, at that.
Would you be willing to spoil enhance your living room walls with your children’s work for everyone else to see? Honestly, I wouldn’t mind but the Hubs, he’s too anal for that kind of thing.
Tee admiring her work on Nana’s dining room wall…..
Tags: preschoolers art on walls,
Topics: All about my precocious little girl | 4 Comments »
Pregnancy Clumsiness and Madness
By bigpumpkin | July 1, 2009
Did I tell you how forgetful and clumsy I am in this pregnancy? I am now 8 months pregnant and things are getting worse by the micro-millisecond. Yesterday, I deleted every single gmail email I had in my inbox. Every single one of them. Whoosh! They were all gone. I hadn’t even finished opening up the unread ones and now, I have no idea what was there or what was deleted. Apologies to those who have emailed me and will never hear from me again. It was an accident as my many other accidents in the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and everywhere else.
Speaking of bathroom accidents…..SHEESH!!! Have you all ever heard of Desitin diaper rash cream?
Well, the other day, Tee was feeling an itch down there so we plonked her on the vanity counter with her legs apart (you know, like a Thai tiger show) and applied some lovely smelling Desitin cream. For the next month after that, I would tell myself EVERY SINGLE FUCKING DAY to keep the Desitin cream back into the medicine cupboard because knowing me, on one God forsaken day, I would use the Desitin cream wrongly. But did I keep it back at the medicine cupboard? No, because I am pregnant and I keep forgetting.
The one fine God forsaken day finally arrived.
Now I usually brush my teeth without my glasses every morning and this morning was no different. With a vast array of toothpaste on our vanity counter comprising the many options of children’s Dora, Wiggles, Princess toothpaste and blue and green Sensodyne topped off with Colgate, my electric toothbrush rotated something unfamiliar in my mouth. It felt oily……and the more my toothbrush rotated, the oilier my mouth got, till it suddenly felt like I was gargling with a bottle of Shell oil.
I stopped the toothbrush and had a very close look at the foam on my toothbrush, which looked very unfamiliar on close scrutiny. Then I picked up the tube I had just squirted and let out the LOUDEST SCREAM!!!
Tee and the Hubs came rushing into the bathroom and when they’d realized what I’d done, they were all cracked up on the floor in tears, kicking their legs in the air!!! Sympathy? They obviously had none.
After countless washes and rinses of my mouth, the oiliness was STILL on my teeth, palette, tongue, inner cheeks, everywhere, and I just couldn’t get the disgusting taste out of my mouth! Forget the toothbrush. The bum cream was so deeply embedded into its bristles that I threw it out. Hard!
Tee kept asking, “So what does bum-bum cream taste like, Mommy? Hahahaha!!!!” and would burst into evil cackles of laughter. The little monster………the Hubs was no better.
Lesson learnt. Do not procrastinate. Under any circumstance.
Tags: going crazy in pregnancy,
Topics: On being pregnant | 9 Comments »
Crime in Medan Damansara
By bigpumpkin | July 1, 2009
Unfortunately, this is where Tee’ school is located and this has happened on the very road where her school is too so to all you mothers who have your kids at Tee’s school and anyone else who wait around the Medan Damansara area, please be warned.
Recently, a new tactic of motorbikes would hide a piece of magnetic explosive in their mouths whilst on the lookout for targets. Once they find their target, they’d slowly ride past your car, spit the gadget out of their mouths and gently place it on your car window (it’s like a magnet and sticks onto your car window). This is done so fast that you don’t even realize it whilst the motorbike continues his ride. Little do you know that he will then press a button and in a flash, your window explodes, you are in shock, he rides back quickly and steals your handbag or laptop or whatever it is you had in your car that he had attempted to steal. And before you know it, he’s gone.
The golden rule is, if you’re waiting for your child, be aware of your surroundings. If you see a motorbike or passer-by walking pass your car, look at them in the eye and prepare your car to be moved, just in case. Alternatively, move your car backwards and forwards when they approach so they won’t even target you since you are not stationery. It is unfortunate, but it is real, and happening.
Tags: preventing crime,
Topics: Malaysia | 8 Comments »
Preparing a preschooler to perform on stage
By bigpumpkin | June 30, 2009
Tee’s music school principal called today to talk about Tee performing at their school’s music concert. She said that Tee was ready to perform and asked if I was OK with it because parents were not allowed to attend their concert rehearsals. I told her I was fine with it but really wasn’t sure if Tee would be fine without me. She’d just have to gauge that.
Then, she asked how I thought Tee’s friends would feel about it if Tee performed and they didn’t, a question which shocked me. I wondered if she meant how Tee’s friend’s MOMS would feel rather than the kids themselves, I don’t know, I’m guessing here. I felt that at this age, the kids are pretty oblivious to performing on stage and understand little of its significance. The moms on the other hand, especially some of those that like to compare……it may be another story altogether.
I am certainly not one to compare but I told her that Tee’s friends from school (and their Moms, I think and hope) are pretty comfortable with the fact that Tee is more advanced in some ways than their own kids and so it shouldn’t be a problem for Tee to perform at music school and not them. After all, different kids develop at different paces, right? It just so happens that some of her friends at school also attend the same music school.
Then she asked, “What if Tee’s boyfriend were to perform in the concert too? Do you think Tee would be comfortable without you at the rehearsals then?” I told her that if Tee’s boyfriend were there, it is without a doubt that Tee would be happy and OK without me being there. *roll eyeballs, so much for Tee choosing Mommy over her boyfriend!* Apparently the rehearsals could be quite taxing (staying in the auditorium for up to 4 hours) for a less than five year old so she just wanted to be assured on the kid’s comfort levels.
With that now, she will be checking with Tee’s boyfriend’s piano teacher to see if HE is ready to perform at their music concert. Isn’t it incredible? I really don’t mind at all if Tee performs or not.
Tee’s music school principal, I know she loves Tee and Tee loves her too. Tee’s first introduction to music was with her and they have this special bond. When they were shooting their TV documentary last year, she also chose Tee amongst others to be included in the documentary, It was a fun experience and you all know how much my girl loves being the center of attention!!
Tags: performing on stage, preschoolers on stage,
Topics: All about my precocious little girl | No Comments »
Worms in a Preschooler’s Butt
By bigpumpkin | June 30, 2009
We de-worm Tee (ever since her pediatrician advised us to do so) every six months but until today, I am wondering if GlaxoSmithKline is giving us a run for our money because not only have I not seen any worms coming out of her butt, she is still constantly moving. Non-stop.
Tee does not stop moving. Even when she’s in a stationary spot, she is still moving. It is either her hands, or her bum, or her head, or her mouth and her eyes, but something is moving. Always. Like she’s high on cheap ecstasy or been injected with Vietnamese caffeine. Most people assume she’s high on sugar but it isn’t true. I have done a little experiment and not given her ANY sugar for 3 whole weeks, yet she is still as energetic, bouncing off walls with electricity. No kidding.
I have threatened her that she needs to learn how to stop moving sometimes. I have warned her that I will tie a gag around her mouth and tie her to a lamp post so she can no longer move or talk, if she refuses to learn how to be still. The only time she is not moving, is when she is in deep sleep zone. For even in sleep, she is moving like a rotating clock.
Honestly, my Mom reminds me time and time and again, that if I wanted to lose weight and get fit, all I have to do is copy Tee’s movements. She is so right. I could market her as the next weight loss guru of the century. And when I imagine TWO kids just like Tee constantly on the move, I stare into blank space and wish I was in the Bahamas lounging on a thin mattressed pavilion experiencing a blissful massage……..
Tags: active children,
Topics: All about my precocious little girl | 6 Comments »
Organising a busy schedule
By bigpumpkin | June 29, 2009
I’m trying to tell myself that I am a full time working Mom working from home. This means that from the 7 days of the week that I have (168 hours in total), these are the hours that are allocated to weekly duties:-
40 hours working
12 hours dedicated to Tee
50 hours of Sleeping
10 hours of Household chores including dishes, laundry, showering, driving etc
15 hours of Cooking
15 hours of Eating
8 hours of flexi-time for Doctor’s visits, social gatherings, Tee’s classes etc
10 hours of Relaxation Time (which will surely be eaten up by other pressing tasks!)
8 hours of Family Time
The rest of the available chores are performed by the Hubs, like the cleaning, laundry, ironing, caring for Tee during the weekends etc.
Life is tough……It’s an unrealistic goal but I’ll give it a go. And then of course, when baby arrives in 5 weeks, I can put this schedule in cold storage for a year. Oh, but my helper is arriving soon so maybe that’ll help. She has arrived in KL but came with a flu and is now under quarantine. They will detect this week if it’s just a normal flu or otherwise. Once she comes, hopefully that will free up 1-2 days of time. But baby…..aiya……hopefully, she will be a sleep a lot baby!!
Tags: organising a busy schedule, time management,
Topics: Our crazy life day to day... | 3 Comments »
Addicted to Coffee joints
By bigpumpkin | June 29, 2009
For the love of Starbucks……
My girl, she will never fail to ask for Starbucks or Coffee Bean or San Francisco Coffee at anytime she spots one of them or suddenly feels the urge. She is such a coffee joint addict.
Well, the Hubs and I, we love our coffee too. Truth be told, San Francisco Coffee has the best coffee. Absolutely. I used to work there. I know. Starbucks comes second and shit, Coffee Bean will even serve you coffee that’s been sitting at the machines for more than a minute. That’s stale coffee.
San Francisco Coffee recently has this gorgeous, gorgeous mini chocolate cake which is not sweet at all but tastes so chocolatey and the best part, it’s so small that it’s just enough. Priced at RM4.50 per piece. Please go try it (and make sure they warm it up for you) and tell me you agree!
At all 3 coffee joints, Tee will always have a hot or cold chocolate with EXTRA whipped cream. Then she’ll have a chocolate eclair (can you see on the bottom right in the right picture? That was at Starbucks Pantai, we visit every single time we’re there) or a donut, or their Tiramisu. My girl loves donuts. Forever.
This coffee joint habit is such a badddddddd…….habit!!!
Tags: starbucks addict,
Topics: All about my precocious little girl | 5 Comments »
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend
By bigpumpkin | June 28, 2009
If you are ever buying a REAL diamond which is at least ONE CARAT in weight, I would strongly suggest that you get certified diamonds because then you are assured of its quality and if ever you need to, there is a resale value. Another thing is, be careful when viewing the diamond in the shop’s bright fluorescent light which enhances the diamond’s brightness because once you take it out of that light, it’s luminosity changes. But then again, if you fall in love with a particular diamond, I’d say go for it.
Tags: selecting diamonds,
Topics: And everything else | No Comments »
Preschoolers and LEGO
By bigpumpkin | June 28, 2009
Of late, my little Tee has been obsessed with LEGO. I am terrified that she has an overdose of architectural genes from her parents and seriously pray that she does NOT end up an architect. But her incredible creativity and imagination tells us time and again that she truly is a cut above the rest when it comes to creative talent.
Today, she kept herself occupied with building a house whilst Mommy and Daddy were both busy with our own thing. She did it very quietly and gave me a BIG surprise when she was done with it. She brought it behind my chair, hid with her model and shouted out “SURPRISE!!!”
It sure got ME jumped off my chair!
Tee proudly showing off her creation. This set has nothing to do with a house. It is a set for making vehicles but she used the parts to create a house.
Showing off her house from the sky view. For some reason, her houses always has ONE solitary tree. Even when she draws a house, it is always accompanied with one SOLITARY tree.
She even knows how to pose with her eyes looking through the holes in the house. Preschool fenestration?
It took her 20 minutes to explain her house to me in a long-winded manner. The first thing she showed me were the CCTV cameras shining from her house. We have them all over our condo, which is where she probably picked up the idea. I honestly wonder what they were in the vehicle lego set and must go check them out (those little grey pieces that really look like CCTV cameras) if they really are meant to be CCTV cameras. But why would a vehicle have a CCTV camera?
More CCTV cameras and the swimming pool within barricaded with that black gate on the white bench. Can you see the black windmill looking fan on the red and white tower? That’s apparently a windmill that gets the pool water recycled into the house for usage and drinking (something like that) - I asked her where she learnt the word recycle from and seriously expected it to be from school but she said it was from Playhouse Disney! *faint*
Another view of her solitary tree….the tall grey aerial on the left on top of the red roof is for lots of TV - her all time addiction!!! And she said it is better than Astro because when it rains, Astro always fails her. Astro is lousy, she says.
The double red sirens on top of the house serves 2 purposes - one is for fire (if there is a fire within the house, the siren will go off) and the other is for robbers should there be a robbery, the siren will call the police.
Where the hell does she get all this stuff from?! Too much TV.
Tags: great toys for preschoolers, preschoolers and lego,
Topics: All about my precocious little girl | 7 Comments »
Fitting into a size 8 UK dress
By bigpumpkin | June 28, 2009
That’s the goal. I am currently at size……16? But I’m pregnant. And 16 is only the bottom. My top still stands at 12 although 14 is more comfortable. I USED to be a sized 8 
Of course, that was a long time ago. However, I would like to get back there again and I will be doing it without a diet pill. Yup, just watch me……in such time, I will be strutting my stuff with 3 inch heels and stylish clothes one fine day. I HOPE!!!
Tags: diet,
Topics: And everything else | 1 Comment »
Ladies Night Out
By bigpumpkin | June 28, 2009
I’m having the urge to post pregnant face pictures of myself of late - perhaps it is an exercise to put on record how much weight I get to lose after this baby comes out. And seeing that I look like a maid most of the time, it’s a nice thing to put on record the three times that I get to put on make up in my nine months of pregnancy.
This was taken last night before I went out to watch a play that produced some excellent acting. I am so bored of my glasses, I can’t be arsed with contact lenses and I badly need those new Prada frames but the optician has advised me against them for now because I am pregnant and my power is unstable but who cares?! Well, the Hubs does…..because they are RM2000 :-( and I have high astigmatism which means more money for high powered lenses. He only wants to pay for it once, not twice, because once this pregnancy is over, the power of my eyes would change again. *sigh* Aren’t you bored of my boring glasses? I am so bored! Tell me I need new glasses straight away.
Tags: having a great time with ladies,
Topics: My Thoughts & Opinions, My partner in crime - the very square Hubs | 7 Comments »
Getting rid of excess junk
By bigpumpkin | June 28, 2009
If you’re like us, you’d have a lot of surplus items in your household that you really don’t need and can afford to get rid off. But instead of giving it away or worse, throwing them out, you could always host a garage sale or better, put them up for auction online! All you have to do is snap a picture and place your price.
Tags: garage sale,
Topics: And everything else | No Comments »
A scene from Poland
By bigpumpkin | June 28, 2009
On two separated single beds that can hardly be defined as single beds being less than three feet wide each, lay two young girls of 20, whispering life secrets to one another, comparing notes on who had the bigger secret to share. The air was cold (about minus 15 degrees Celsius) although the room was purportedly heated with an ancient junk of a heater, but the girls were comfortable in five layers of clothing. It was a brothel type one star hotel after all, with an old sliding gate lift that transported raunchy guests between the four floors.
“I don’t get surprised anymore. Seriously, hardly anything surprises me.” Said Sam.
“I once dated my Dad’s boss! For a whole two years!” Maisy tried impressing her soul mate but she was right, it was no big deal to her.
Hardly flinching from that piece of news, Sam asked, “Did your Dad know?”
Maisy shrugged her shoulders. “Who knows? Who cares?” My Mom got to the bottom of it though and stopped the affair. I was 19, he was 32 – Managing Director of an Oil and Gas company and Scottish.”
“I once had a fling with Gary.” Sam whispered. Gary was a mutual friend of theirs whom at the time was a silent geek.
“NO WAY!!!” an uproar of laughter followed as the two girls reminisced their imprudent past as nubile teenage girls. Gun shots of Nazi soldiers yelling at kids throwing snowballs outside their window did not faze them, as sharing their friendship through secrets was so much more fun.
Suddenly, a knock on their door broke their hysterics. Some classmates called out to the girls for supper at 11pm as the group had hardly eaten all day. Being on an architectural field trip, visiting and learning about buildings from 8am to 8pm continuously, was an exhausting feat yet once education was over for the day, all everyone wanted to do was not to crash but to stay up till 4am to PARTY. Such is the frivolity of youth.
Everyone was famished. What meals they had had throughout the day always comprised cooked cabbage in various styles (which seemed to be the staple of the poor Polish) and French bread with butter and/or cheese. The plan was to head off for a huge Big Mac meal down town and Maisy had promised the rest she’d come along. Besides, she was genuinely hungry. Sam however, suffered from an incurable auto-immune disease and had very strict life rules to abide thus could not go.
It was a difficult parting as Maisy didn’t want to leave Sam behind all alone but Sam reassured her that she needed to call her Mom in Italy anyway, “Go, go, go!! Go get me some bread!”
With that, the eyes of the two girls met with a connection of understanding. Maisy then flung on her thick woolly Arctic green jacket and headed out with the rest of the gang leaving Sam to smoke her red Marlboros alone.
***********************************************************
My dearest friend,
Not a day has gone by that I have not missed you. It has now been 16 years and every single time I see a yellow butterfly, I know you are close by. Thank you for looking out after me and my family all these years, I know you have, because you are the only one in Heaven that I am closest to.
I was thinking of you on your birthday this year but couldn’t bring myself to write because guess what? I am pregnant again! At the time, I was all hormonal and emotional and although I thought of you non-stop, I just couldn’t bring myself to put pen to paper as I knew that I’d get into an uncontrollable fit of tears, just like the two whole years I cried for you. Yann was there for me then or I’d have been desperate enough to join you. He is now married with a new set of twins to another childhood friend of mine, a doctor. Those bloody doctors, right? If it weren’t for her, we’d still be friends as we were really good friends for a long time after I’d left him. I am really happy for him and hope he has found true happiness since we led such complicated lives.
What about Zam? I always felt he never really got over you and displayed this by dating the same type of Caucasian girl each time. He’s kept in touch with my Italian friend though and she tells me that he is now married to a French girl with kids. I suggested meeting up once last year but he didn’t respond so I did not pursue it further. Perhaps it was too painful for him to see me, as a reminder of you. I know your death completely screwed him but I do hope he has moved on and is able to cope with life at least.
I have your Mom’s email and have been meaning to write her but still haven’t and really, I have no excuse. It’s not even laziness. I don’t know what it is. But I will, I definitely will make contact with her again to show her my two girls and how far I’ve come. She would have wanted that for you. I’m happy that your Dad has joined you, at least you have some company!
I am still ecstatically happily married to the Hubs, and funnily he has to come from your school! What’s it with men from your school?! I have told you of Tee and wish and wish that the two of you could have met because man, you would get along like a house on fire! She would have loved you so much! And I have another little one on the way. All is good at this end. Mom is battling her tail end of her cancer and I hope she has the strength to fight it out further than all these years that God has already given her. Thank you again for blessing us.
I miss your sexy, husky voice, your long creative fingers, your amazingly spicy chilli padi Indonesian cooking (for such a materially rich girl who did not have to lift a finger a day in your life in a kitchen, you could really, REALLY cook!) but most of all, I miss you, everything about you.
Your yellow bedroom in London is still fresh in my mind. And your flat overlooking the River Thames? I remember every single space in that flat and can still see it in my mind till today. I remember the large life sized blown up photograph of you and Mom in Missoni colours and you blurting, “My crazy Mom and her Chinese men!”. I remember the artefacts and clocks, the glass that surrounded us; the 3 architectural project paintings of black and gray you had up on the walls…..Isn’t that weird?
I also remember your house well in Singapore, where the staircase without balustrades led to your Mom’s bedroom and how your private bathroom had no doors. Your balcony overlooked the pool with the white iron cast coffee table set. I was in awe of your enormous mirrored walk-in wardrobe, your huge four poster bed……….girl, you had it all.
But yet you hadn’t.
I wish you had given yourself more time, given me more time. We had barely enough years of togetherness and although it was an intense amount of years, it was hardly enough. I keep your presents close to my heart and will forever cherish them, it is all I have of you apart from our memories.
Recently, I watched Star Trek, the movie, in your honour, and honestly didn’t think it was too bad. The casting was too young for my taste but other than that, it was an entertaining Hollywood flick. You know how I am totally not interested in Star Trek. You know how hard you tried converting me to becoming a Trekkie. Who knows? One fine day, when time permits, I may get the whole series of Star Trek and watch it back to back and then perhaps, I will see the light. The light that you kept wanting me to see.
Did you get all those candles I burnt for you in the churches in England? It was a ritual for me. Unfortunately, I don’t do churches anymore, not since I came back. But I hope to again one day soon, or perhaps I’ll build an altar in my own house. Just so we can be closer.
Although I know that you are beside me, it is still not the same because I can no longer hear that crazy laugh. Your crazy laugh, your husky voice. I can no longer listen to your words of wisdom (or crap!) and can only hope that in prayer, you will whisper into my ears when I sleep. I dreamt of you twice last year and would like you to come into my dreams again. Please visit me, I long to see you and talk to you again. No other person in this world has connected with me the way you have.
Forever with love.
fcmp6nud6v
Tags: death,
Topics: Once upon a time... | 3 Comments »
Which camera to bring on vacation
By bigpumpkin | June 28, 2009
One important lesson I’ve learnt about holidays is NOT to bring a large camera, especially NOT if you have kids. The reason is simple. The large bulky SLR that would take magical vacation pictures? You’re going to end up leaving it in the hotel room after you realise how inconvenient it is carrying it around all day and then you sacrifice by taking minimal pictures and come home without any memories.
When we went for our month long trip to the States, we specifically went out to buy a good point and shoot weighing 250 grams with a loaded micro sd card and that served us BEAUTIFULLY throughout our entire vacation. If you don’t believe me, try it!
Tags: good camera tips,
Topics: And everything else, My Thoughts & Opinions | No Comments »
Inconsiderate Double Parkers
By bigpumpkin | June 28, 2009
Does anyone know the owner of this car???
Well, this bitch of a woman, parked me in the other day which infuriated me to no end. I was parked directly outside Bangsar Village in a yellow parking box but when it came time for me to leave, I realised that there was no way of leaving. Both front and back had cars close to me and I was squashed in. To the right was the kerb and to my left was this car - WEP 3636. If she had had any brains, she could have at least parked her car in between the dividing line so I could have at least attempted to squeeze my car out. But obviously not.
I had a dear friend with me AND a very tired baby. We were rushing to send her home and then pick Tee up from school. If circumstances were different, I’d have waited patiently for that woman, and then give her a piece of my mind. Maybe smash her wind screen, kick her car and puncture her tyres all at once - IN FRONT OF HER.
Where do you get off parking your car just anywhere illegally, boxing other people in? Have you ever heard of a parking lot? There’s ample parking within Bangsar Village. Mind you, the bitch did not take 5 minutes. She took 15 minutes, maybe more. With a tired baby and me running late to pick Tee up, I was furious! Who knows what she’d stopped for but whatever it was, she wasn’t even in a nearby vicinity as I had started horning gently for a long time and nothing. Finally when she hurriedly appeared, I blasted my horn LOUD AND CLEAR to show the entire Bangsar who this bitch was and to plan a mass massacre of her into a hundred and one bits for the dogs to eat.
Just for the record, she was a lady who looked in her late fourties, fifties, and she did NOT apologise. Merely rushed to her car and zoomed off. If you know this lady, please let her know I’m looking out for her.
Tags: shoot women drivers,
Topics: Malaysia, My Thoughts & Opinions | 5 Comments »
Getting your preschooler to play the piano
By bigpumpkin | June 28, 2009
Tee’s piano teacher has complained that she doesn’t like to play piano anymore. So after investing 10k in a piano, this is what is happening. She only likes to do her theory work and she has noticed this since we changed her piano lesson day from what it used to be.
When we used to have lessons on another day, Tee got to have her piano playing on the GRAND PIANO but since we changed her lesson day, they had to switch music rooms and now she only gets to play on an upright piano.
She told me she doesn’t like the upright piano but she likes our piano at home. I haven’t yet tried the pianos at school but man, is she fussy or what? She is only a beginner and already she knows how to talk like a professional pianist?
To me, if you’re a good pianist, you can play on any piano. Period.
Tags: getting your preschooler to play the piano, playing the piano well,
Topics: All about my precocious little girl, And everything else | No Comments »
Blog diarrhea day
By bigpumpkin | June 28, 2009
I don’t know why but in my last month of pregnancy, I seem to be having lots of diarrhea. If it’s not food poisoning, it’s my medicine affecting my bowels, or perhaps it’s just the insurmountable hormonal rush within my body right now. Even my blog is having a diarrhea session today.
I’ll tell you why it has to be though. This favourite advertiser of mine? If you do his work super promptly, he tends to give you more work. So what do I do? Stuff my blog with a concoction of posts till it gets sick with diarrhea. It’s a win-win relationship.
Tags: blogging, make money blogging,
Topics: Blogging to save money | 1 Comment »
Clear your bowels
By bigpumpkin | June 28, 2009
Many people have bad constipation problems and I don’t understand why. As long as one is not medically dysfunctional, as long as you follow all the constipation guidelines, you should be able to clear your bowels!
This includes eating lots of fruit and vegetables (for fiber), drinking lots of water and getting a decent amount of exercise to get your system going. If this doesn’t work, you’re just not eating, drinking or exercising enough. Failing that, you could include some psyllium husk into your morning drink or breakfast. That’s bound to get you going.
Otherwise, get a Colonix review and seriously get to the bottom of the matter because long term constipation is the start of more serious health problems as you are keeping toxins within your body for a long time and that certainly can’t be healthy. My mother has cancer. She has had constipation all her life. Take your body more seriously, people.
Tags: clearing your bowels,
Topics: And everything else | No Comments »
Poor communication skills
By bigpumpkin | June 28, 2009
I think that majority of problems in this world are a result of poor communication skills. Seriously. If people only learnt to communicate properly and clearly and soundly, the world would really be a happier place.
But how does one brush up on their communication skills? Is it personality? It is practice? It is intelligence? A combination of several factors?
I guess what people need to do when communicating first of all, is to think of what they are about to say and put themselves in the other person’s shoes and think about how they would react if someone else were to say the same things to them. Of course, it’s not as straight forward as it sounds but all this come with experience.
My youngest brother called me the other day from Melbourne.
“Che, I need your help.”
“What?” I’m already on my defense because if at all he needs my help, it would be about money.
“I need to borrow some money. Either from you or Mom.”
“I have no money to lend you and neither does Mom. Why do you need money?”
A long story continues about how he needs to find a new place to stay. The more he talks, the more suspicious I get because the impression we all have of him is that he is a spoilt brat. And this impression is formed through no fault but his own, thus we really cannot be blamed. If he wanted this impression to change, then he would have to change.
Without enough information and with his style of approach, he totally got me on the defensive wall and I was hesitant in helping him. Who wants to help a spoilt brat who needs to grow up and learn the meaning of responsibility? For every response he had, I had a counter response and in the end, the issue was unresolved and I am still waiting for him to take some action. But you know what? Why should I chase him for it? If he had the sense to grow up, he would take charge and revert to me with the things that I have asked for.
It is typical of society, this attitude. It’s everywhere in the work force. People take no action, then later they blame others for their misfortune. I, on the other hand, always protect my interests so that I cannot turn around to blame someone else. It is a victim attitude. It is the attitude of majority of the work force in KL - nobody wants to work! Every one wants a free ride. Easy money. Easy job. Fast success. Sorry to break it to you, honey, but it does NOT work that way. Sure, there are those who have had the luck. One in a million…….so don’t hope and wait. Work for it!
Instead of how my brother had approached me, which was a rather stupid way I might add (especially from such a smart kid), he should have first explained that his housemates were moving out of his current house and as a result of THAT, he would no longer be able to afford the rent as he would have no one else to share the rent of the entire house with. THAT would be his reason for needing (not wanting) to look for another place.
And then he could have added that he’d been on the lookout for new places but all of them seemed to be more expensive already from his little room in this shared house. And then, he could have asked me what I thought he should do?
Don’t you think that would have been a far better approach? Than “Che, I need your help!”
*sigh* Not only my brother, but so many people have so much to learn…….how are they going to sell any ideas in life if they cannot even communicate the simplest of concepts!?!
Thus starts the domino effect of poor communication. And they all come tumbling down……
Tags: improving your communication skills,
Topics: My Thoughts & Opinions | No Comments »
My fantastic treadmill
By bigpumpkin | June 28, 2009
The problem with having a sedentary job which forces you to sit in your chair for several hours on end is that you never get off your butt to do any exercise. My poor treadmill is sitting in my lounge not being used and is very lonely. Soon, she may start having withdrawal symptoms and get into deep depression. The Hubs thankfully strokes her sometimes, you know, just to keep her going.
Once this baby is out though, I intend to FORCE myself to get onto that treadmill at LEAST 4 times a week and my job will just have to take a back seat. The priority would be to get fit. And everything else would come secondary. That’s my promise to myself. Go Mamapumpkin!
Tags: forcing yourself to exercise,
Topics: And everything else, My Thoughts & Opinions | No Comments »
Transformers 2 with a 4.5 year old girl
By bigpumpkin | June 28, 2009
Tee was a huge success at the movies last night. Together with her Daddy, who was ever so brave in bringing his precious girl to watch the very loud and scary Transformers, they managed to watch it together and thoroughly enjoyed their night out with pop corn, orange juice, breakfast cereal and lots of Oreo cookies. Except towards the last 5 minutes when it was approaching 11pm and Tee got over-tired despite the afternoon nap.
She began pining for her missing Mommy (who was having a darn good time with some ladies without kids!) and started to sob. Not the true suffering kind of cry but a ‘manja‘ kind of sob when the Hubs smsed Mommy to inform her that her Autobot was crying for her. Oh bugger!
After a great play, there I was with some women at Bar M in Solaris pretending to be 10 years younger than we really were, enjoying cheese fondue and some coffee after a full meal at La Risata, dessert et al, enjoying good conversation…. and I had to break up the party just after midnight. Rushed home like a maniac to find a swollen eyed girl still in her outside clothes refusing to wash up and get into pyjamas until Mommy was home.
The moment I swung the door open, her face lit like twinkling lights and I could tell she had been crying lots from the bulging eyes but that smile of glee she gave me was just pure heart melt. She was so, soooooooo happy to see me and likewise.
I was actually hoping that she’d passed out from exhaustion and I’d get to do my own thing past midnight but she had enough stamina to wait up that late. Anyway, got her cleaned up and sent to bed. She was out in a flash.
Fast forward till 2.30am whilst blogging, I suddenly felt queasy and then had some diarrhea followed by some violent vomiting!!! Oh My f@#*ing God!!! I prayed so hard that this wasn’t a 3rd trimester thing as I’d read that some women suffer from 3rd trimester nausea. I had puked at least 3 litres of fluids all over the guest bathroom water closet when the Hubs woke up in shock as he’d heard the noises which I tried very hard muffling.
He was a real sweetheart. Cleaned up the mess, got me water and sorted me out. I was so ill, I felt like fainting. Till now I don’t know if it was my meds, the food or just one of those things. But this morning, I was limp and listless. Probably close to dehydration so I forced myself to sip all morning. I’m fine now. Phew!
So now, Tee knows the Transformer story, she knows the names of them robots and she has passed a milestone in her life. We can now take her for real movies - YAY!!! FINALLY!!!
Tags: movie nights with a preschooler, transformers,
Topics: All about my precocious little girl, Our crazy life day to day... | No Comments »